If you’re looking for a must-try seafood snack or appetizer that you can easily make at home, our all-time favorite fried calamari inspired by an Olive Garden staple comes to mind. If you don’t know what calamari is, it’s a squid dish that’s usually seasoned with herbs and spices then deep-fried.
Though it has a shape and texture similar to the real thing, its component parts are decidedly different. While calamari comes from squid, the replica is supposedly made of hog rectum, otherwise known as “bung.”
Clarification: This story has been updated to emphasize “This American Life” didn’t uncover any instances of pork-based imitation calamari being passed off as real calamari in a U.S. restaurant. Correction: An earlier version of this piece mistakenly referred to the Nashville Scene journalist as Steve Karuch.
In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning. Set aside. Take out the marinated calamari rings from the fridge. Drain and discard all except the calamari rings. Gently roll a few pieces of calamari into the flour mixture and shake off the excess. Deep fry the calamari until golden brown.
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